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National Take Back Initiative collecting prescription drugs

Published On: Oct 16 2013 12:02:42 PM HST

HONOLULU -

The Department of the Attorney General, in partnership with the Drug Enforcement Administration and State Narcotics Enforcement Division, is coordinating the 7th National Take Back Initiative on the islands of Oahu, Kauai, Maui, and Hawaii.

Anyone with expired or unused prescription medications is encouraged to bring their medications to a collection site on Saturday, Oct. 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

This service is free and anonymous -- no questions asked. Tablets, capsules, and all other solid dosage forms of medication will be accepted. New or used needles and syringes will not be accepted.

This is a great opportunity for those who have missed the previous events or who have subsequently accumulated unwanted, unused prescription drugs to safely dispose of those medications.

Since September 2010, Hawaii together with Guam and the Northern Marianas Islands has collected nearly 11,000 pounds (5.5 tons) of expired and unused prescription medications. On the most recent National Take-Back day on April 27, 2013, 742,497 pounds (371 tons) of prescription medication were turned in at the 5,829 Take-Back sites available in all 50 states and the U.S. territories. Approximately 1,330 pounds of prescription medications were collected throughout Hawaii.

Attorney General David Louie states, "I am pleased that my staff is working in partnership with the DEA and State Narcotics Enforcement Division to address the seriousness of prescription drug abuse and misuse. Nationally and locally, this is an issue of growing concern. These take back efforts provide an opportunity for the community to prevent drug abuse and theft by disposing of unwanted prescription medications."

Robin Dinlocker, DEA Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge, adds, "A large percentage of people abusing prescription drugs obtain them from friends and relatives, often raiding the family medicine cabinet. In order to stem this trend, DEA has joined with our law enforcement and community partners to host National Prescription Drug Take Back Events. Take Back Events provide a free, anonymous, and environmentally safe opportunity for the public to turn in unused, unwanted or expired prescription medication."

Keith Kamita, Administrator, Narcotics Enforcement Division, Department of Public Safety, said, "In Hawaii, pharmaceutical controlled substances have become a huge problem with our youth. They underestimate the dangers of these types of controlled substances stating, 'How can it hurt me? It's prescribed by doctors.' These substances are as strong as or stronger than street drugs. Hawaii's participation in the Take Back Initiative helps eliminate these life-threatening hazards by safely destroying old, outdated and unwanted substances, possibly saving the life of one of our kids."

Unused or expired medicine should be disposed of properly when it is no longer needed for the illness for which it was prescribed.• Medicines may lose their effectiveness after the expiration date.• Improper use of prescription drugs can be as dangerous as illegal drug use.

Worst prescription drug side effects

Worst prescription drug side effects

Many people rely on prescription medications to treat different health conditions. But, treatment can come at a price. Click through these images of some common and uncommon side effects from prescription drugs.

Birth defects other than death could be the worst side effect of all. Anticonvulsants and antidepressants are two of the most harmful drugs on an unborn baby. Now expectant mothers are given long lists of prescription drugs to not take, according to rxbirthdefects.com

Blue urine is a strange side effect since blue is not a common color found in nature. Some antidepressants, painkillers and anesthetics cause urine to appear blue because of the artificial colors in the medications, according to livescience.com.

Brain zaps are a terrible side effect that people encounter when trying to quit anti-depressants. These brain zaps also cause dizziness, sweating, nausea, tremors and confusion, according to popcrunch.com.

Coughing up blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds is a less common side effect of the popular drug Plavix that is used to help fight against future strokes and heart attacks. This side effect is caused from internal bleeding and will be very noticeable and should be treated immediately, according to oddee.com

Compulsive behavior is a side effect that causes radical behavior changes in people. People who were before good at managing their money found themselves in major debt from gambling and shopping. Mirapex causes these side effects is used to treat Restless Legs Syndrome and to treat signs of Parkinson’s disease, according to health.howstuffworks.com.

Permanent eye color change is a common side effect of glaucoma medication which women are now using to make their eyelashes grow longer. Regardless of your eye color this drug can permanently turn your eye color brown, according to popcrunch.com.

Vanishing fingerprints is a rarely heard of side effect but it does exist. A common chemotherapy drug causes your skin to peel which in turn makes your fingerprints disappear, according to livescience.com.

Grain skin syndrome is a rarer side effect caused by a drug used to regulate your heartbeat. This side effect can also be caused by an antibiotic that is sometimes given to newborns. The skin gradually changes to a gray/blue color, according to popcrunch.com.

Infertility is a side effect of many commonly used drugs taken by men and women. The drugs include antidepressants, blood pressure medication, contraception pills and anabolic steroids, according to factspy.net.

Sleepwalking is a common side effect from various prescription drugs. It is a sleep disorder that can cause serious injury and sometimes hallucinogenic side effect s. One drug associated with this side effect is Ambien.

Stevens- Johnson Syndrome is a terrible side effect that has no cure. The syndrome causes the upper layer of the skin usually around the eyes and lips to divide from the dermis. This can lead to skin cancer. This is very serious and can even cause people to go blind , according to factspy.net

Loss of sense of taste is a side effect of my many drugs used to treat high blood pressure and congestive heart failure. Salty and sweet taste buds are usually the first to go. Vasotec is a common drug that causes loss of taste, according to drugs.com.

Having unused and expired medicine in your home increases the risk of accidental poisoning.•Homes where children or the elderly live are especially vulnerable to this danger.• People may mistake one type of medicine for another type. Children may mistake medicine for candy.

Unused or expired medicine should not be thrown in the trash or flushed down the toilet.• Proper disposal helps reduce the risk of prescription drugs entering a human water supply or potentially harming aquatic life.